Packaging solution for solar modules from KTH

KTH Kunststofftechnik Hahnmühle KG, which is primarily active in small series production of plastic injection-molded parts for the automobile industry, has teamed up with Berlin-based module manufacturer Solon. 

© Martin Sachse for photon-pictures.com Reusable: New solution for transporting solar modules from KTH.

Both companies wish to reduce the big pile of waste that has been an unavoidable byproduct of building a PV system up to now, but which is especially annoying with a product with such a high ecological claim. Normally, expensive modules are packed in individual boxes; this not only creates a waste problem but also causes rising costs – costs of material and costs in terms of labor, as packing and unpacking the products takes time.

The solution, which was conceived jointly – and which Solon and a few other manufacturers are trying out already, is startlingly easy and is called Eckpack4. Every module gets specially formed plastic elements for use on the corners during storage and transport. Affixing these corner protectors is just as quick as taking them off. The weight doesn't rest on the modules but rather on the stable corner elements, and therefore up to 32 modules can be stacked on top of one another per pallet. The modules only have to be secured with a strap for transportation. In this way, the Eckpack4 elements are additionally much lighter than when conventional packaging is used and because they can be stacked in rather high piles, they also save on shipping space. Admittedly, for every size of frame there has to be a corresponding Eckpack version, but in practice this isn't really a huge problem. Most manufacturers only have one single measurement in their programs anyway. However, the Eckpack4 concept is not suitable for frameless modules, which are being used more and more often these days.

Solon is taken with the new solution, which it plans to present at its Intersolar booth, because the plastic corners, priced between €1.53 ($2.19) and €2.38 ($3.06) for a four-pack, can be used up to 50 times. 

This was, in fact, one of the stipulations during the development. Kai Hornberg, product manager at KTH, originally rated this »reusable« aspect to be a particularly important sales argument, but in the meantime this is not as certain as was thought. »Many customers would like to use it as a throwaway system, and that actually surprised us,« he says. The logistical effort and expenditure that goes with return transportation is clearly seen as too much and the sector is shying away from introducing the necessary fees for obligatory return. »In view of the current prices for modules, people don't want to pay a security deposit on top,« he says. 

KTH Kunststofftechnik Hahnmühle KG
Rheinstrasse 124
64319 Pfungstadt, Germany
phone +49/6157/8071296, fax 986036
KTH@adama.de

Jochen Siemer
© PHOTON International, June 2005